Chicken Banh Mi Recipe, recovered!

(one of my early posts this recipe recently “disappeared” from my archives while trying to revisit some ancient tags. I re-post this edited recipe from March 2008. Thank you.)

It’s cold and rainy March, which makes me crave comforting and spicy food. What better reason to make some fresh Banh Mi at home. For those of you unfamiliar with Banh Mi, it is a Vietnamese sandwich served on French bread. But a simple sandwich, it is not. In a crispy yet soft French baguette you’ll find paté, chicken or beef on a bed of spicy jalepeno, cilantro or basil, pickled daikons and carrots and a spicy sauce. I first tried this spicy meat sandwich in New York city and promptly began craving it ever since that first bite.

These dishes were inspired by Mai Pham, my favorite Thai/Vietnamese chef and cookbook writer and owner of Lemon Grass Restaurant. I have modified her recipes and added additional elements in order to make them my own. The five spice chicken banh mi is truly is happiness (and spice!) on bread

*Cook’s note:
1)The bread used in Banh Mi is extremely important. If you don’t have a Vietnamese baker in your town (or city for that matter), I recommend finding the best French style baguette you can. The texture you want is crispy crust and fluffy interior. For great Vietnamese bakery suggestions, go to Battle of the Banh Mi for details. If you live in Hollywood and don’t want to drive down town, I’d recommend getting your baguette from the Bread Bar.

2) Use Google or this website to find the best Vietnamese market in your area.

3) Though there’s a lot to do, this recipe is relatively easy if you stay organized.

Five Spice Chicken Banh Mi with spicy lime mayonnaise
Adapted from Mai Pham’s Bon Appetit December 2005 recipe

Ingredients:
Marinated daikon and carrots
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ teaspoon (rounded) salt
3 cups daikon—cut into matchstick-size pieces
3 cups carrot—cut into matchstick-size pieces

Five spice Marinated Chicken
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons five spice powder
6 large skinless boneless chicken thighs**
**I bought chicken breast and thighs from Whole Foods and took the skin off myself. I de-boned the breast and cooked the thighs off with the bone in.

Spicy Lime Mayonnaise
¼ cup favorite mayonaisse
juice of one lime
Sriracha hot sauce (to taste) 1-3 teaspoons should do it!

Sandwich mise-en-place
6 6” inch baguettes, cut down the center (don’t cut all the way through)
1 English hothouse cucumber (or two Persian cucumbers), cut into ¼ inch thick slices
½ of one small red onion, cut in half through the stem, thinly sliced. Rinsed and drained.
12 fresh cilantro sprigs
2 jalapeno chilies, thinly sliced crosswise

Preparation:
For marinated daikon and carrots:

Whisk first 3 ingredients in a large bowl until dissolved. Add daikon and carrots; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Drain well.

For Spicy Lime Mayonnaise:
Squeeze the juice of one lime into mayonnaise. Add Sriracha one teaspoon at a time. Stop with preferred spiciness is achieved. Have nearby with other sandwich mise-en-place.

For marinated chicken:
Mix first 8 ingredients of chicken marinade together and put into a 13×9x2 inch-baking dish. Add chicken; turn to coat. Let marinade at room temperature for 1 hour. Turn often.

Preheat Broiler. Cook chicken approx. 6-minutes per side. Check that meat isn’t pink inside before removing from heat. Transfer to plate; tent with foil to keep the meat warm. When ready to serve, slice.

For spicy mayo:
Mix all ingredients together.

For Sandwich:
Grill the bread until just toasted. Spread spicy mayonnaise on bottom half of baguette. Top with cucumber slices. Fill sandwich with the meat of one chicken thigh (or breast, if that’s what you have), drained daikon and carrot, onion slices and cilantro sprigs. Sprinkle with jalapeno slices and ground black pepper. Serve with cucumber and fennel salad.

Spicy Cucumber and Fennel Salad
Adapted from a Mai Pham recipe

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water

Salad:
1 hothouse cucumber (or 4-5 small Persian cucumber) thinly sliced
¼ of a fennel bulb, thinly sliced and halved for bite sized pieces
½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce
6 fresh cilantro sprigs, chopped

*Optional, you can add 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts for garnish

Combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt and water in a mixing bowl until well blended. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss well. Let sit at least 15 minutes, then serve.